Laser Physics

Laser physics is the field dedicated to understanding, designing, and applying lasers, which are devices that produce highly intense, coherent, and directional beams of light. It is fundamentally rooted in quantum mechanics, exploring how stimulated emission of radiation can be used to amplify light within a gain medium, and it also investigates the complex interactions between this unique light and matter. As a critical area of applied and interdisciplinary physics, its principles enable a vast range of modern technologies, including optical communications, medical surgery, advanced manufacturing, and cutting-edge scientific research.

  1. Fundamentals of Light and Electromagnetic Radiation
    1. Nature of Light
      1. Wave-Particle Duality
        1. Historical Development
          1. Young's Double-Slit Experiment
            1. Photoelectric Effect
              1. Compton Scattering
              2. Wave Properties
                1. Interference
                  1. Diffraction
                    1. Polarization
                    2. Particle Properties
                      1. Photon Concept
                        1. Quantized Energy
                          1. Momentum Transfer
                        2. Electromagnetic Wave Theory
                          1. Maxwell's Equations
                            1. Wave Equation
                              1. Propagation in Vacuum and Media
                              2. Electromagnetic Spectrum
                                1. Radio Waves
                                  1. Microwaves
                                    1. Infrared Radiation
                                      1. Visible Light
                                        1. Ultraviolet Radiation
                                          1. X-rays
                                            1. Gamma Rays
                                            2. Photon Properties
                                              1. Energy-Frequency Relationship
                                                1. Planck's Constant
                                                  1. Photon Momentum
                                                    1. Energy-Wavelength Calculations
                                                  2. Light Propagation and Optics
                                                    1. Geometric Optics
                                                      1. Reflection Laws
                                                        1. Refraction and Snell's Law
                                                          1. Total Internal Reflection
                                                          2. Wave Optics
                                                            1. Interference Phenomena
                                                              1. Diffraction Effects
                                                                1. Coherence Requirements
                                                                2. Gaussian Beam Optics
                                                                  1. Beam Waist and Rayleigh Range
                                                                    1. Beam Divergence
                                                                      1. Beam Quality Factor
                                                                        1. ABCD Matrix Formalism

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                                                                    2. Atomic and Molecular Physics Foundations